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New media competition and access: the scarcity-abundance dialectic

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  • Mansell, Robin

Abstract

It is often argued that constraints on access to new information and communication environments will disappear as services decline in price and as customers and producers engage in new market relationships. Following this line of argument, the relative scarcity of communication and information access opportunities of the past should be dispelled. The aim of this article is to illustrate the faults in this vision as applied to Internet and new media services development. It is argued that the new electronic environment will not be immune to forces of monopolization nor will it give rise to an era of market competition that fully protects the interests of all consumers and citizens. In fact, empirical evidence suggests that electronic intermediary service providers are populating the new markets and deploying strategies that are no less informed by monopolization strategies than in the past, though they do take different forms. The evidence is consistent with the inescapable dynamics of tension between abundance and scarcity in the market place.

Suggested Citation

  • Mansell, Robin, 1999. "New media competition and access: the scarcity-abundance dialectic," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 3479, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
  • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:3479
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/3479/
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Sharma, Ravi & Fantin, Arul-Raj & Prabhu, Navin & Guan, Chong & Dattakumar, Ambica, 2016. "Digital literacy and knowledge societies: A grounded theory investigation of sustainable development," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(7), pages 628-643.
    2. Gonçalves, Vânia & Evens, Tom & Alves, Artur Pimenta & Ballon, Pieter, 2014. "Power and control strategies in online video services," 25th European Regional ITS Conference, Brussels 2014 101438, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    3. Evens, Tom, 2010. "Challenging content exclusivity in network industries: the case of digital broadcasting," 21st European Regional ITS Conference, Copenhagen 2010: Telecommunications at new crossroads - Changing value configurations, user roles, and regulation 12, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    4. Mansell, Robin, 2004. "Political economy, power and new media," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 762, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Intermediaries; Internet dynamics; Market strategy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce

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